Karen Braun is a writer and conference speaker on issues related education and family life. Her work has appeared in the American Thinker, Crosswalk, The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, WatchDog Wire, and various other websites and magazines. She has also appeared on TV and radio venues. Along with blogging, Karen also enjoys homeschooling, running marathons, and spending time with her husband, their six children, and two grand children. For more information please contact Karen at spunkyhomeschool at gmail dot com
In 2006, Bill Gates said to a group of elites at the Aspen Institute, The business of philanthropy is thinking through the way to change something.It’s just this simple: You have some money, and you have some things you’d like to see different.” And that is exactly what Gates did with the Common Core. Thankfully, […]
The Wall Street Journal is talking about the Common Core and what will greet students in the coming school year. (Link here subscription required.) This comment by Rick Hess of American Enterprise Institute was telling, “This is the huge fulcrum moment for many of the reforms,” said Rick Hess, director of education policy studies […]
(Editors Note: Melanie Kurdys sent an excellent email to lawmakers in advance of the final hearings this week Details of Common Core hearings here. It is reprinted here. ) Crazy Thinking or Reasonable Concerns? I have noticed recently, people who are pro-common core are suggesting only crazy, right-wing extremists have concerns about common core. […]
While Michigan lawmakers continue to talk about The Common Core and high school exit exams that test “college and career readiness” education reformers are moving on to higher education in their quest to fundamentally transform education in the United Sates. From the Wall Street Journal, Next spring, seniors at about 200 U.S. colleges will […]
In an op-ed for the Huffington Post, education historian, Diane Ravitch, says “nonsense” to claims made by Common Core cheerleaders that the new standard are “absolutely necessary”. If you listen to the promoters of the Common Core standards, you will hear them say that the Common Core is absolutely necessary to prepare students for careers […]
I had the privilege of being a part of a WOODTV’s Live Town Hall with Governor Snyder. (Video at link could not be embedded.) My question centered around the fact that when we adopted the Common Core our PUBLIC school standards became PRIVATELY owned by the NGA and the CCSSO. It appears from Governor Snyder’s […]
The last Michigan committee hearing attempted to answer the question about whether we can change common core standards. State School Board President, John Austin said “absolutely” we have the right to change them but MDE said that we are merely “advocates” and can “ask” for changes. Michigan isn’t the only state wondering if we can […]
In the third hearing, State School Board President John Austin said that the state board had “absolutely” the right to change the standards. Austin tells @singhsam94 that state board “absolutely” has right to change standards. @TomMcMillin audibly laughs. #MichEd — Brian Smith (@SmithBrianA) August 14, 2013 Brian Smith repeated it in his follow-up story, Common […]
The American Principles Project is putting on a one-day event with national experts to learn the truth about the Common Core. The Changing Role of Education in America: Consequences of the Common Core University of Notre Dame September 9, 2013 You can register online here. Please join us for a one-day conference at the Notre […]
On August 5, Melanie Kurdys discussed Common Core with Keith Roe of Public Access Television on the show Monday Night Live. Th video is one hour long and worth your time. Kurdys’ knowledge of Common Core will help you discuss this issue with friends, school officials, and lawmakers.